Hoyt story inspires outpouring
By Cathy Flynn, Milford Daily News
Posted Tuesday, 20 December, 2005
HOPKINTON -- Dick Hoyt received some good news yesterday, after a story in the Daily News on Sunday told of his streak of bad luck.
An anonymous donor came forward, offering $1,000 to help Hoyt buy a new van for his son Rick, 43, who is quadriplegic and can’t speak. It will be added to a fund started with a $1,000 donation from the Hopkinton Athletic Association.
"This is just awesome," said Dick Hoyt, 65, as he was preparing for an interview with a television station at the Boston Marathon starting line yesterday. The Hoyts, with Dick pushing Rick in a wheelchair, will run the Marathon for the 25th time in April.
Sunday’s News story told of the Hoyts’ recent misfortunes when an 80-foot tree fell on Dick’s home in Holland, Mass., damaging the roof and his girlfriend Kathy Boyer’s nearby car. Cold air filled their home until the damage was fixed. Then Rick’s 1998 Econoline van, specially equipped with a lift and room for his racing wheelchair and other equipment, also failed. A new one will cost $40,000, far more than the Hoyts can afford.
Since the story ran, "I’ve got a few calls from people who have vans they want to sell, from as far away as Florida," Hoyt said. "The response has been great, and Rick is very excited about it."
Despite never being able to walk or speak, Rick has been able to live alone in Brighton and compete with his father in more than 1,000 athletic competitions, including the Marathon and some grueling triathlons. A Hopkinton businessman heard them speak at the HAA’s Marathon Kickoff Dinner last March -- where Rick spoke with the aid of a computer-simulated voice -- and offered $1,000 when he heard of the Hoyts’ recent troubles.
"Both are unbelievable human beings," said the benefactor, who wanted to remain anonymous, in a phone interview. "I hope that people can raise enough money to help them buy a new van. If you can spare $1,000 or $500, it’s better off with those guys than just sitting in a bank and doing nothing."
Along with the $1,000 gift, others who read the story have promised to help raise money, said Kathleen Karpe of the HAA yesterday. "People from different running clubs are calling, and they are already thinking of ways they can help," Karpe said. "Even people I see at the gym and at the grocery store are asking what they can do."
Yesterday Hoyt also said that he and his son are devoting their 25th run to raise money for Easter Seals. He said he hopes to raise $1 million for the charity. E.L. Harvey & Sons, the Westborough-based recycling company, is helping Hoyt with the fund-raising effort.
"When Rick was younger, he went to all the Easter Seals camps and it helped him become more independent," said Hoyt. "It made it easier for him to go to college and live on his own. I feel it’s payback time now."
To contribute to the Hoyts’ van fund, send a tax-deductible check to the Hopkinton Athletic Association, P.O. Box 820, Hopkinton, MA 01748. Checks should be made out to the HAA, and specify the "Hoyts’ Fund" in the memo line of the check.
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